Ridiculously Delicious Barbecue Sauces Perfect for July 4th

No party? No problem. These barbecue sauces will add zing to any backyard grilling you might be doing this weekend.

Ginger Rosemary Ribs
Coral Von Zumwalt
Written by Hugh Garvey June 30, 2020

If you’re sitting out any big Fourth of July gatherings that might be happening this year, you’re going to have a little more time to dial in your backyard (or patio, or stove-top) barbecue. Which is why we’re sharing a few of our all-time favorite sauces worth making at home. Yes, you could buy some store-bought sauce, but it’s likely going to be a little too sugary, and it definitely will not have the zip and zing of fresh garlic, freshly ground spices, and, most of all, the loving hand of a home cook. 

Here are six amazing sauces (and recipes to go along with them). We’ve got one from Oakland-based barbecue star Matt Horn; this one’s on the sweet side, but a mix of honey and brown sugar gives the flavor a sophistication that keeps it from being cloying. Cherry-Zinfandel sauce is a little tangier; tamarind chipotle skews fairly traditional but with a slightly offbeat twist. Whiskey barbecue sauce edges away from the traditional ketchup-forward base, and peach barbecue doesn’t actually have any ketchup in it at all, although the inclusion of tomato sauce and fruit ensures that the expected push-pull of sweet and tart elements is fully there.

Don’t feel you need to use these sauces on the proteins and preparations they’re paired with here: They’re all interchangeable and can be used on burgers, chicken, tofu, beans, or whatever else you want to get saucy with on this fine holiday. So go ahead and exercise your right to cook whatever you please—and have a great long weekend!

1 of 6© 2022 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text © Matt Horn. Photography © 2022 Andrew Thomas Lee

Matt Horn’s Sweet Barbecue Sauce

“Everyone needs a versatile barbecue sauce,” Matt Horn says in his cookbook, Horn Barbecue, noting that you can use it as a marinade before cooking, mop it on while smoking, apply it after cooking, or serve it on the side for dipping. “Whip [it] up when guests are on the way, or even just for everyday meals to make them more special. Mine is this easy recipe, which uses two sweeteners—brown sugar and honey—to create a complex, rich taste. Try this sauce on ribs, chicken, or mixed into juicy pulled pork.”

2 of 6Jennifer Causey

Tamarind Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Tamarind pods give superlatively tangy, fruity, caramel depth to this sauce. Sauteeing onions for the sauce gives a silky-sweet richness that balances out all the flavors. Our recipe calls for wings but this will be lovely on any sort of chicken or pork (or shrimp for that matter!).

3 of 6Annabelle Breakey

Cherry-Zinfandel Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is spiked with anise seed and flavored with cherries to echo the flavors of the Zinfandel wine that gives it its rich red color.

4 of 6Thomas J. Story

Grilled Chicken with Whiskey Barbecue Sauce and Spicy Slaw

The oaky smoky vanilla taste of whiskey gives backbone and bite to this grilled chicken (and taking a quick shot of the hard stuff makes cooking that much more enjoyable).

5 of 6Iain Bagwell

Grass-Fed Burgers with Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

The not-so-secret ingredient in this otherwise classic ketchup-based sauce is spicy canned chipotle in adobo. If you don’t have orange juice concentrate on hand, don’t sweat it. The sauce will still be fantastic without that added orange flavor (though it is a nice little flavor note).

6 of 6Annabelle Breakey

Peach Barbecue Sauce

With stone fruits heading into peak season, do yourself a favor and add their sweet-tart flavor and luscious texture to this tangy barbecue sauce that’s perfect on pork. This would also be fantastic on grilled bone-in chicken thighs.

Search All of Sunset’s Recipes

Keep Reading:

The Latest